Heitkamp Announces $46 Million Loan for Central Power Cooperative to Improve Rural Electricity

BISMARCK, N.D. – August 17, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced a $46 million loan to improve rural electric infrastructure, guaranteeing rural North Dakotans have access to reliable, affordable power.

“When I go to work every day in the Senate, fighting for rural America is my top priority – and this loan will help North Dakota’s rural residents keep getting the reliable electricity they need,” Heitkamp said. “Infrastructure upgrades are critical as our state grows and changes, particularly in the West, and financing to help make those changes possible is vital for our state’s rural electric cooperatives.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Lisa Mensah is in North Dakota to announce the loan with representatives from the ND Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. Mensah is also visiting USDA Rural Development projects that are helping address the unique infrastructure needs of western communities in the state.

Central Power serves more than 56,000 consumers across 25 counties. They will use the financing to build out 51 miles of transmission line and make system improvements to deliver reliable and affordable electricity. The loan also includes $171,000 for smart grid technology.

Heitkamp is a vocal advocate for investing in and strengthening North Dakota’s power sector, particularly in rural areas. Last August, Heitkamp brought U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to North Dakota as a part of the administration’s release of its Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), which included a series of meetings across the nation to examine critical energy issues and help the Administration develop a strong national policy for energy infrastructure. Moniz scheduled the visit after Heitkamp specifically called on Moniz to come to North Dakota, given the unique challenges the state faces in generating electricity and maintaining the grid. The QER focused on infrastructure upgrades and the smart grid – improvements Heitkamp has fought to develop in North Dakota.

Earlier this year, Heitkamp met with the Jasper Schneider, administrator of USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and stressed the importance of timely financing through his agency to support their growth. Through the USDA’s RUS electric loan program – the program that provided the loan announced today – more than $1.8 billion has been invested in North Dakota electric infrastructure projects since 2009.